What is phantom power demand in the context of AI data centers?
Phantom power demand refers to electricity requests filed by developers for data center projects that are speculative and unlikely to be built. Developers file many more requests than they intend to construct, often to reserve options, hedge bets, or speculate on future needs, making the raw requested-gigawatts figure misleading as a forecast.
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Two-Thirds of AI Data Center Power Demand Is Phantom and Won't MaterializeBloomberg reports most electricity requested for US AI data centers will never be built — only about 28% of 1,066 gigawatts sought is likely to be committed.
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